Diascia plant named ‘Sunjodi 045’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Diascia  plant named ‘Sunjodi 045’, characterized by its semi-upright and mounding plant habit; strong flowering stems; early and long flowering period; numerous large salmon pink-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Diascia hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SUNJODI 045’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Diasciaplant, botanically known as Diascia hybrida and hereinafter referred toby the name ‘Sunjodi 045’.

The new Diascia plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in St. Brides, Netherwent, Monmouthshire,United Kingdom. The objective of the breeding program is to create newfreely flowering Diascia plants with strong flowering stems and largeattractive flowers.

The new Diascia plant originated from a cross-pollination conducted bythe Inventor on Jun. 7, 2008 in St. Brides, Netherwent, Monmouthshire,United Kingdom of a proprietary selection of Diascia hybrida identifiedas code number d484, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent andwith a proprietary selection of Diascia hybrida identified as codenumber d0912, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The newDiascia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a singleflowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollinationin a controlled greenhouse environment in St. Brides, Netherwent,Monmouthshire, United Kingdom on Aug. 20, 2008.

Asexual reproduction of the new Diascia plant by vegetative cuttings ina controlled greenhouse environment in St. Brides, Netherwent,Monmouthshire, United Kingdom since Aug. 20, 2008 has shown that theunique features of this new Diascia plant are stable and reproduced trueto type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Diascia have not been observed under all possiblecombinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. Thephenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditionssuch as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variancein genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Sunjodi 045’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Sunjodi 045’ as a new and distinct Diasciaplant:

-   -   1. Semi-upright and mounding plant habit.    -   2. Strong flowering stems.    -   3. Early and long flowering period.    -   4. Numerous large salmon pink-colored flowers.    -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Diascia can be compared to plants of the female parentselection. Plants of the new Diascia differ primarily from plants of thefemale parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Diascia have longer flowering stems than        plants of the female parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Diascia have larger flowers than plants of        the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Diascia can be compared to plants of the male parentselection. Plants of the new Diascia differ primarily from plants of themale parent selection in cold hardiness as plants of the new Diascia aremore cold hardy than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Diascia can be compared to plants of the Diasciahybrida ‘Sunjodiora’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 24,869. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted in St. Brides, Netherwent,Monmouthshire, United Kingdom, plants of the new Diascia differedprimarily from plants of ‘Sunjodiora’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Diascia were not as upright as plants of        ‘Sunjodiora’.    -   2. Plants of the new Diascia had smaller leaves than plants of        ‘Sunjodiora’.    -   3. Plants of the new Diascia had fewer flowers per inflorescence        than plants of ‘Sunjodiora’.    -   4. Plants of the new Diascia and ‘Sunjodiora’ differed in flower        color as plants of ‘Sunjodiora’ had orange red-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Diascia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Diascia plant.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a top perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Sunjodi 045’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Sunjodi 045’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown in 15-cm containers in an outdoornursery in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and under cultural practices typicalof commercial Diascia production. During the production of the plants,day temperatures averaged 23° C. and night temperatures averaged 13° C.Plants were four months old when the description was taken and fivemonths old when the photographs were taken. In the followingdescription, color references are made to The Royal HorticulturalSociety Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Diascia hybrida ‘Sunjodi 045’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Diascia            hybrida identified as code number d484, not patented.        -   Male or pollen parent.—Proprietary selection of Diascia            hybrida identified as code number d0912, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About two            weeks at temperatures about 18° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 18 days            at temperatures about 18° C.        -   Root description.—Fibrous; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Semi-upright plant habit;            vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit with numerous            lateral branches developing per plant.        -   Plant height.—About 38.5 cm.        -   Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 56.4 cm.-   Lateral branch description:    -   -   Length.—About 20.4 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 2.2 mm.        -   Internode length.—About 2.6 cm.        -   Texture.—Glabrous; longitudinally ridged.        -   Color.—Close to 143B.-   Leaf description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.        -   Length.—About 3.1 cm.        -   Width.—About 1.75 cm.        -   Shape.—Ovate.        -   Apex.—Obtuse.        -   Base.—Cordate.        -   Margin.—Serrate.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 143A.            Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 143D. Fully            expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to N137C; venation,            close to N137C. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close            to 138B; venation, close to 138B.        -   Petioles.—Length: About 2.2 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,            upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144B.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Large single flowers arranged            on terminal and axillary racemes; flowers zygomorphic with            five lobes fused at the base and spurred; freely flowering            habit with about eight to ten flowers per raceme and about            94 flowers developing per plant; flowers face outwardly.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Flowering response and natural flowering season.—Early            flowering habit, plants begin flowering about three weeks            after planting; long flowering period, plants flower freely            and continuously from May to October in Japan.        -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about five days on the plant;            flowers not persistent.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 9.1 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 3 cm.        -   Flower diameter.—About 1.48 cm by 1.57 cm.        -   Flower depth.—About 5.2 mm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 5.4 mm. Diameter: About 4.9 mm.            Shape: Spherical. Color: Close to 29D.        -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Corolla consists of five petals            modified into two upright banner petals, two lateral petals            and a larger lower lip petal. Banner lobe length: About            4.8 mm. Banner lobe width: About 7.9 mm. Lateral lobe            length: About 6.1 mm. Lateral lobe width: About 6.6 mm.            Lower lobe length: About 9.1 mm. Lower lobe width: About            11 mm. Banner and lateral lobes shape: Orbicular. Lower lobe            shape: Broadly ovate. Banner, lateral and lower lobes apex:            Rounded. Banner, lateral and lower lobes margin: Entire.            Banner, lateral and lower petals texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Spur length: About 6 mm. Spur            diameter: About 4.7 mm. Spur orientation: Positioned towards            the flower or pointed inwardly. Color, banner, lateral and            lower petals: When opening, upper surface: Close to 35C;            towards the base of the banner and lateral petals, close to            N34C; towards the base of the basal petal, close to N57D.            When opening, lower surface: Close to 35D. Fully opened,            upper surface: Close to 37B; color becoming closer to 38D            with development; towards the base of the banner and lateral            petals, close to N34C; towards the base of the basal petal,            close to 59B. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 37D.            Spur: Close to 48A; towards the apex, close to 47A.        -   Sepals.—Appearance: Five sepals fused into a star-shaped            calyx. Length: About 1.7 mm. Width: About 1.1 mm. Shape:            Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, immature and            mature, upper surface: Close to 144A. Color, immature and            mature, lower surface: Close to 144B.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2.9 cm. Diameter: About 1.7 mm.            Angle: Mostly erect to outwardly. Texture: Sparsely            pubescent. Color: Close to 144A.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 8.3 mm. Diameter: About 0.3 mm.            Angle: About 45° from the peduncle axis. Texture: Sparsely            pubescent. Color: Close to N144A tinted with close to 60C.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen number per flower:            About four. Stamen length: About 2.6 mm. Anther shape:            Bi-lobed, elliptic. Anther size: About 1 mm by 1.2 mm.            Anther color: Close to 12A. Amount of pollen: Scarce. Pollen            color: Close to 8A. Gynoecium: Pistil number per flower:            One. Pistil length: About 2.6 mm. Style length: About 1 mm.            Stigma shape: Orbicular. Stigma color: Close to 144C. Ovary            color: Close to 144B.        -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit production have not been            observed on plants of the new Diascia.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Diascia have been observed to    have good garden performance and to tolerate wind, rain and    temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about 35° C.-   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Diascia have not been    observed to be resistant to pests and pathogens common to Diascia    plants.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Diascia plant named ‘Sunjodi 045’as illustrated and described.